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So we're all excited for the release of Skyrim, what with its immersive and super-long gameplay and all. In fact, one of the hallmarks of the Elder Scrolls series is the fact that the world is so expansive that you can get lost in it doing all kinds of random things while you completely forget about the main quest. So why, then, has Bethesda announced DLC packs for the game?

Skyrim will be released on November 11, but as yet there's no timeline for the DLC packs. The only details about them are that they're going to be released on the Xbox 360 30 days before they appear anywhere else. So I guess if you really want first dibs on the DLC, (whatever it may be) then you'll probably want to play it on the 360. Personally, although I find the 360 controller rather comfortable for FPSes (I know, I'm weird that way), I've been leaning towards the PS3 for Skyrim just because I think it would look more spectacular in full 1080p.

But the real question here is why are they already announcing DLC for a game that isn't out yet? Why not just include this content in the game itself? Hopefully it's actual gameplay and quests instead of *shudder* horse armor or something!

Oh, and in other news, according to the Bethesda Blog, there's going to be vampires in Skyrim, too! So watch yourself!

12 Comments

oldtaku said:

That's just the way it is now.

Charitably, being DLC means it doesn't have to be done by the time the game goes gold, it isn't crucial to the game story, and it's most efficient to start working on it immediately after the game ships.

Non-charitably they're planning DLC already because they can get as much profit out as they do from selling the game, at a fraction of the development cost.

I'll be PCing it up, I can't fathom playing a Bethesda RPG without access to mods, or being able to use mouse/keyboard, so I guess I'll be waiting 60 days for the DLC. Oh well, the game will be amazing anyway...

So maybe they have a few quests and locations worked out, as a concept, but they know they won't make it till Nov 11th? I dunno.... I think that's just me being irrationally positive about it, when in reality I'm more like 'everyone's a bastard and wants to milk me for money' :s

I find it difficult to get angry at game companies about this at this point. There is a lot of data to back up the claim that a DLC pack will sell really well if it comes out right around when the game does, and will usually sell much more poorly if it comes out a couple months later.

So... even if you were a game company with the purest of motives and you had some totally separate team of engineers who are going to work on DLC for a game... you'd still want to release it earlier rather than later, because that's when people are buying.

Until/unless people change their buying habits, I think gamers and game journalists need to stop making accusations based purely on when DLC comes out or gets announced. Criticize away if DLC is released to fix a game balance/mechanics issue (see horse armor) or if a released game is somewhat incomplete and requires DLC to really get a full experience.

You know, at my job we need to plan our work in detail up to six months in advance, and in outline up to a year in advance.

I don't mean "we have to" because we're told to. I mean "we have to" because otherwise everything is chaos, with holidays and clients and shifting teams and people left on jobs that aren't appropriate to them.

If Bethesda have any sense - and they do - then they've already planned their major projects for the next 6-12 months. Skyrim releases in 3 months. So you'd better bet they've sketched out their DLC.

What's funny is that I probably won't even buy any DLC for Skyrim simply because there's enough content in the main game that I'll never even finish that, so why waste money on anything extra? (I guess maybe if it's a really awesome quest or something, maybe. But still...)

Well if Fallout 3 and New Vegas are any indication, Bethesda will probably have had 3-5 DLC adventure packs in mind during development of the main game.
My question would be - does that eliminate the chances of an expansion pack? Shivering Isles and Blood Moon were both bloody excellent.

"But the real question here is why are they already announcing DLC for a game that isn't out yet? Why not just include this content in the game itself?" This is exactly what I keep wondering about Tales of Xillia. They've been revealing all these awesome alternate outfits, and so far they have ALL been DLC. And the game is coming out next month WHAT.
...naw I know the reason already. MONEY. Dammit.

This was a plan from the start. And for all you people who want to "wait for the game of the year edition." I tried that with New Vegas... and failed lol I couldn't wait, but then I thought to myself... "What if they realize that people will just wait a year, and stop releasing the goty's as a response to us not wanting our hard-earned dollars milked" Well I remember some time ago (at least a month or 2) seeing on a gaming-news site somewhere, a statement from Bethesda saying that a goty for New Vegas was unlikely. Woopidy doo da so that means we are going to shell out $120 when all is said and done again? SCREW THAT! But I'll still buy it. They have me by the balls and they love it. Well hows this Bethesda, I downloaded a pirated copy of New Vegas lol...

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